The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1887-10-05

| congress of 1871. and who Is to be sue
eeeded By worthy son IN the next Lecis
| iature; there was the brilliant and impetu
Gus D. d. Southworth, whose soul woulS
have reyolted at the idea of doing iniustict
to the University. and who though now deaC
hVes IN the person of a son who wheI
scarcely Of fall age won an honorable repu
tatlon IN the same body; also the clear
headed Col. p. f. Liddell, who surrendered
his life for his country on the battle fele
OF ShaTpshurg; and the eloquent and gallan
Autry, who also gave up his young ane
glorious life for his country; and the care
full, painstaking and talented Cushman
from the town of Oxford, and whose whole
legislative life had been in large measure
devoted to furthering the interests OF tbs
University. And there was Reuben Davis
one of the ablest lawyers in the State, com
bining impetuosity with GOODNESS. a sticklel
for honorable dealings between men. though
apt sometimes TO go astray from giving
way too far to the promptings of an hon
orable impulse. Then, also, were there
Col. Tison. the sleepless Watchdog of the
Treasury. whose melancholy and untimely
fate filed the State with gloom; and Judge
Foote, whose career then gave promise Of
the honorable and useful service he after
wards rendered to the State; and John W
Thompson, one of the best lawyers in the
State, and one of the most useful and hon,
orable citizens. And there was there alsc
James e. Matthews, one Of the ablest men
who ever served the State, not excepting
his brother, Gov Matthews. He was es-
pecially qualified to detect the errors OF
Gov. McRae and Mr.. Thompson from his
long and honorable service as Auditor OF
Public Accounts and ex-officio commits
sioner of this fund. This service extended
from July, 1S43, to November, 1S47. And
there was also there Judge James S. John
son, of Carroll, than whom there has never
lived in the State sounder lawyer or a
more useful legislator; and from the same
county were also Judge Abner Reeves, who
by his service in our Legislature added to
the honorable fame he had won in the
Legislature of Georgia; and Frank Haw-
klns, one of the most honorable of men
and the clearest headed man IN finance
ever knew. And there was also Asa r.
Carter, clear-headed and incorruptible, who
had the singular good fortune as a Senator
"a years afterwards, to emphasize the views
of that Legislature by voting against this
very proposition lin substance1 when it
passed the Legislat of 1880. But 1 cannot
notice all who deserve honorable mention.
In the Senate there was the strong
minded, cool and clear-headed Jno. j..
Pettus, President of that body, after
wards Governor; the sound and clear
thinker, james Drane, who afterwards
missed the nomination for Governor by
only few votes, and who was for a long
time one of the leading and most useful
members of that body. There was also
VIM. Cothran, afterwards Circuit Judge for
many years, whose keen sense of justice
and clear, common sense had won for him
the title, given to Aristides, THE just; (;
and also Joseph B. Cobb, whose brilliant
talents and great culture had made him
distinguished not only in politics but in
literature; and Peter B. Starke, the very
soul of honor, impetuous in his attacks of
error; and Joel NJ. Acker, then in the prime
of his vigorous manhood, able in debate,
wise in council, keen-sighted and quick to
detect error and to see the right; and r. o.
Beene, with abilities which would have
made him conspicuous on any stage-a
sound and great lawyer; and Henry L.
Elicit, a great and profound lawyer, an
illustrious Judge, and whose sense of right
was SO keen as to make him incapable of
being deceived. And in addition to these
there were many others, the abIest and
safest men in the State. That Legislature
had been selected to make a new Code OF
laws, and was composed of more able anC
distinguished men than any other Legisla
ture which ever met in the State. In fac
that illustrious body lacked nothing which
could give title to the confidence, tn,
respect and the veneration of mankind
HOW THE LEGISLATURE TREATED M'RAE'i
AND THoMPsON's SCHEME.
Ia all that illustrious body not one wa
found to do this message and repor
reverence, or show them any respect what
ever. There are always, l believe, in every
Legislature some men of singular intellec
tual formation and some weak men; bu
no eccentricity of intellect or morals, NJ
weakness of mind, no perversity of temper
existed in that body that could be enlisted
in their behalf. They died without the
hand even of the executioner. They were
simply allowed mot to be-" They met g
condemnation more emphatic than the
most terrible invective absolute silence
and oblivion. These two papers emanated
from two of the ablest and most distin'
guished men in the State-men who had
before that time rendered, and afterwards
rendered great public service. They were
men of pure morals and sound intellect
vet once under the delusions l have men.
toned, they produced what / have de-
scribed, and their efforts we're powerless
But the same Legislature, on motion OF
Judge Elicit, probably the most useful
Senator ever serving in our Legislature
unless the lamented and gifted Reuben O.
Reynolds was his equal-there could be nc
superiOr-granted relief ON THE MEMORIAL
OF THE TRUSTEES. They came as ''suppi
cants,'' said MIR. Thompson, ''asking favors
and donations" and they got $4,000 g
year for five years (see Code of 1857, p
1907. The Legislature was magnanimouS
and bountiful, but they utterly, but silently
may | not say, scornfully ?-repudiated the
pretensions of Gov McRae and Mr.. Thomp
son, TO MAKE THE UNIVERSITY A CREDITOR
Here was an adjudication, under the mos
favorable circumstances, by an illustrioui
body condemning the pretensions now Sc
up. The State was rich. She was theI
the 18th State in the Union in the value
of her lands, the third in the value of he
personally and the ninth 18th i'm her aggre
gate wealth, and eighth in her per capiti
wealth, as shown by the census o
1850, taken four years afterwards. Beside
she was truly out of debt, having
surplus of cash in the Treasury of 1858,
407 45 (see ID. J., 1856, p. 12). Taxation
all these, that Legislature could not b,
driven nor eajoled into the aeknowledg
ment of an unjust debt. All the transac
tions concerning the fund were then vel
known; most of the members of the Legis
lature had knowledge of them. Their
were no lost books of the Treasury. Th
records were complete and mems memorie
were fresh. 1t will be noticed that tn
Legislature here had gone one step furthe
than in the act of 1850. In the last name,
| act, they abandoned the policy of preserv
| ing SUBSEQUENT COLLECTIONS for the fun
as a capital, and in this they abandone
| the idea of preserving any part of 1t a
capital, making an appropriation for tn
relief of the University which would an
| did entirely wipe out the whole debt befor
| the expiration of the five years, viz: il
| 1851, and this view was recognized b.
| Judge Sharkey, who as Provisional Cover
nor in September, 1865, paid the Univer
| slty the amount appropriated as an endow
ment under the act of 1S4S, and did no
| pay the interest. Backed by these illus
trious men, may well repose in the cor
clusions of my own judgment.
GOV BROWNS POSITION.
But the name of Gov. Brown has bee
| invoked to sustain the enormous claims c
the University. He is quoted on page 16
of the University pamphlet, as saying i
his message of January 6, 1916, ''The Stat
| is, in my opinion, under the most solem
obligations to pay it back k'-referring to th
fund lost in the Planters Bank. Yet O
the same page it will be found that Coz
Brown expressly waived any discussion c
the legal liabilities of the State; and tha
| the solemn obligations" referred to. wa
not to the University, nor to Congress, bu
sto the children within her (the States.
borders,' to all of them not to the pal
only who have the money to pay their 81
penses at College, distant from fhei
| homes. 1t Is material here to understan
| Gov. Brown to state the amount of thi
debt which he proposed to assume, the il
terest TO be paid on it, and the mode j